Naiya Parker-Wyatt
This place was perfect. Not too big, not too small. Just enough room for me and someone else if I wanted to have a roommate. With school starting in a few weeks, I thought about the friends I would make since my apartment is close to campus. Earlier this morning when Keon and I arrived here first to check things out before everyone else helped us move my stuff in, I saw signs in the lobby that welcomed students from Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta. This morning I was terrified but I was slowly but surely getting excited to start college now.
But not so excited about being apart from Keon.
"You like it?"
I shook my head, "I love it."
Keon was setting up the bar stools in the kitchen area at the counter. It was in the same big room as the living room with granite tops. The living room furniture was already here still wrapped in the plastic that it arrived in yesterday. I wanted to get up and do something but I was still kinda shocked that I was moving in here.
"You okay?"
I nodded.
"Positive?"
I nodded.
Keon put the last stool together and came over to where I was sitting on the window sill in the living room looking down at the streets. Fact is, which I'm sure Keon has already figured out, I wasn't okay. Even though I was getting excited to start school and I was slowly processing the fact that I was on my own now, the one thing that I wasn't over and probably would never get over is the fact that I would be apart from Keon. I tried to prepare myself for a long time now but it wasn't real until we packed up the cars and left for the apartment.
Just the thought of him leaving later made me nauseous.
"I'm fine." I claimed, hoping he wouldn't push me.
Keon pushed himself sightly between my knees, careful to not go further than that, "You forget that I know when you're lying. But I also know that you'll break sooner or later. Just as long as it's when I'm here."
And it was dropped there. The doorbell rang which I was thankful for. I didn't need a heart to heart right now with company arriving.
Three hours later I was just about moved in. Kyle, Brianna, Shanelle, Torrence and Brendan all chipped in by helping me set up my new place. Torrence and Kyle brought over some of my belongings in their trucks. Hanging up shower curtains, putting down rugs, making my bed, unpacking my clothes, putting up dishes, pots and pans, hooking up my television in the living room to the cable; all within those three hours. Afterwards we sat around and ate a bunch of food and until around ten when everyone started to leave.
One by one.
Everyone kept beating Keon to me to say goodbye, leaving him as the last one. Brendan gave me a big hug and left, closing the front door even though Keon told him that he was right behind him. As he walked up to give me a hug, that's when my water works started.
"I miss you already."
He smirked at me and pulled me into his arms. "I knew what was wrong with you earlier girl. You can't hide shit from me. I know you Naiya." His hands rubbed my back soothingly, coaxing me out of breaking down which I was sure was about to happen. But Keon had hands of persuasion and it actually calmed me down from going any further. "You okay?"
I nodded. As we pulled away from each other he kissed my cheek, my forehead, and lastly my lips.
"You forgetting that I'm half an hour away?" He teased me, poking my left dimple and wiping tears from my cheeks.
"I know but it's different living somewhere else. And what if you think about moving closer to your school?"
"Jackson got me a whole house Naiya."
"Yeah but what if you got a temporary apartment?"
"I wouldn't."
"It would save you gas money."
"I ain't worried about gas money."
"It would save you time."
"I'm gonna be taking a lot of online classes in my senior year Nai."
"But-"
He pressed my lips together, "Shut up. I'm 30 minutes away and I'm always gonna be 30 minutes away. Unless I come closer to you. Never further you hear me?" My lip trembled again and he was pulling me into his arms again. His chin hair brushed against my neck along with his lips. "I love you Naiya."
My body suddenly felt like I was on a cloud or something. I knew he loved me but it feels different after last night. "I love you."
The doorbell rang, breaking him and I apart. Still, I grabbed onto his arm hoping that if it was Brendan at the door, I would be able to get one more hug in before he left me.
Keon chuckled. "It's your boyfriend."
My eyes widened, "What?"
"Taylor."
"Tyler."
"Why do I keep saying Taylor?" He kinda muttered to himself.
I moved Keon to the side and looked into the peephole myself. Sure enough it was him.
"Why ain't you tell me you was having company? I woulda been gone."
"I didn't invite him though."
Keon smirked at me, "Well don't leave him outside. Open the door." He pushed me to the side and opened it for me. I hid behind the door. "Hey what's up?"
"Oh hey Keon. Is Naiya around? I just saw Shanelle leaving and she told me she moved in. I live here so I guess it's only right to come see my new neighbor."
"Yeah she's around..." Keon pulled me from behind the door.
I smiled at Tyler. "Oh hey!"
"What's up? Welcome to the neighborhood I guess...you like it so far?"
I shrugged, "Yeah it's cool. Did I hear you say that you live in the building?"
"Yup right down the hall actually."
"Oh...nice!"
Keon kissed the side of my head, "I'll leave you two be...Nai call me if you need me okay? And let Taylor in. Give him a tour girl."
"It's actually Tyler..." Tyler mumbled loud enough for me to hear.
Keon started to head out with the most assholest grin on his face. I know he messes Tyler's name up on purpose. "Tyler make yourself comfortable I'm just gonna walk Keon out."
I didn't give Tyler a chance to reply. My man was almost down the hall.
"Keon!"
He stopped and turned around. Still wearing that grin. "Sup?"
"I don't want you to leave."
"Naiya," He whined, "you knew I was leaving at some point."
"I know but...I want you to stay. Just for the night?"
"Why so you can suck my face off like you did last night?"
"Yes."
He chuckled, "Naiya we talked about this. I gotta go baby." He came back to me and kissed me one last time before leaving for real.
Keon Wyatt
I didn't want to leave like that but if I stuck around any longer I knew that I would never want to leave. I always saw Naiya getting out which was her goal when she agreed to Alphonse's proposition to marry me. She wanted out. She didn't want out to marry me, she wanted out of that hell hole she was in and to be free. And now she is. Had this been back when we first met, I wouldn't feel so sick walking down the hall away from her but because we've gotten so close now, it's hard. But my head never turned back and never slowed my strides down the quiet hallway. But we're together now so it's not like I'll be away from her for long.
In the parking garage Torrence and Brendan were standing by my car waiting for me. They wanted to hit up a bar which was perfect. Maybe a drink or two would help me get my mind off of Naiya and the fact that she wouldn't be sneaking into my bed tonight. Despite her trouble with sleep and being on her own, I wasn't so much worried about her taking care of herself as much as I was worried about other people around her.
I left Taylor alone with her.
Not saying that he would do anything to her but I wonder if she's even comfortable being around him on her own.
To: Naiya
9:45pm
Your boyfriend still there?
From: Naiya
9:46pm
No my boyfriend left me. But me and Tyler are talking about school....he wants to give me a tour of the campuses tomorrow.
To: Naiya
9:46pm
Oh that's cool...don't want you gettin' lost...
From: Naiya
9:47pm
Yeah...wish you were still here though
To: Naiya
9:48pm
Me too
From: Naiya
9:50pm
What's stopping you then?
To: Naiya
9:52pm
Get rid of him and I'll be back lol
I was only joking of course. I mean I might come back to say bye again but she ain't really gotta get rid of the boy.
From: Naiya
9:52pm
Done
I gotta remember she takes stuff literal.
"Your drink sir."
I waved it away. "Thanks but uhm, give it to somebody else. I'll pay for it but I'm gonna close my tab." She walked off to the register and I felt Brendan and Torrence staring at me.
Sure enough they were. Torrence was frowning, probably picking up that something was wrong. "You okay?"
"Yeah I'm good. The lady misses me."
Torrence gave me a knowing smile while shaking his head. "Y'all cute or whatever."
Brendan was lost as usual. "Naiya cute but this dude here ain't." He took my untouched fresh drink and continued his attention on the television screen.
I was walking down the hallway in the direction of her apartment at the same time that Taylor was walking down the hallway away from her apartment.
"Oh hey what's up man?" He asked me, slowing down his steps.
"Sup."
"Uh Naiya said she was headin' to sleep so I went ahead and left."
I nodded with a smirk as I kept walking, "Cool. I'll make sure she gets some sleep."
He never stood a chance against me. She pulled the tired excuse on him and he took it.
Omniscient
Keon opened the door with his spare key and that's when he noticed that Tyler was at the end of the hallway at his own apartment staring. Keon frowned a little and waved causing Tyler to head inside.
Naiya peeked around the corner from the hallway leading to her bathroom and bedroom and smiled. "Hi."
"Hey-" She was jumping into his arms and delivering kisses to his face before he could even close the door. "I thought you were tired."
She pulled away from his face. "Who told you that?" She went back to kissing him.
"Taylor."
Naiya didn't even waste her time correcting him. She simply enjoyed the ride as he wrapped his arms around her carrying her to the couch.
The knock on the door didn't phase them. Well, Keon couldn't hear it anyway but Naiya ignored it. Up until the fourth knock.
"Damn." She huffed, standing up from the couch where her legs were draped over Keon's lap.
"What?"
"The door."
Keon nodded and patted his pockets for his phone so he could text Torrence and tell him that he would be leaving as soon as Naiya let him. "Hurry back."
She nodded with a Cheshire grin on her face. She wasn't expecting to open the door and see Tyler on the other side and he definitely wasn't expecting to open the door and see a small dark mark on her neck that came from Keon's mouth. He connected the dots that started with photograph on the lock screen of the phone he saw in the hallway and played it off with a smile.
"Uh sorry to disturb you but uh...I uh found this," he held up Keon's phone, "in the hallway. I saw your picture on the phone and figured it was yours...or Keon's."
Naiya's eyes widened, "Oh, uh...thanks."
He shook his head, "No problem."
Keon appeared behind her and Tyler couldn't help but notice how wrinkled his shirt now looked. "Ba-Naiya let me out I lost my phone."
Naiya handed the phone that Tyler gave her over her shoulder, "Tyler found it."
Keon smiled at him, "Thanks man."
"No problem."
There was an awkward silence. Keon looked at the two of them and decided to leave them alone. "I'll be back Naiya." She feared he was going to excuse himself out the door but instead went to the hallway leading to the bathroom, but made a bbb-line for her bedroom.
"Uh I guess I'll see you tomorrow. There's a party tomorrow night and I think you should come."
"A college party? I don't know-"
"It'll be fine I promise. I'll be there." He gave her a warming smile and she couldn't help but give in.
"I still don't know..."
"You'll have fun trust me." If that didn't win her over, maybe this will, "You can invite Keon and his friends too. A lot of people from their school always come out to support I heard. It'll be fun."
Tyler decided to take a step back. It didn't take a scientist to figure out that Naiya and Keon had a chemistry between one another. Tyler peeped it earlier when he showed up. Plus, there's the numerous times where Naiya would talk about him. Even though he liked her, he couldn't see himself coming between them especially if the physical proof of their want for each other was written on their faces,
and sketched on Naiya's neck. Keon's whole reason for pushing her hair back.
Tyler was in college surrounded by hundreds of other women. His attempt on Naiya failed due to another man but there was plenty of fish in the sea. Besides, maybe if he backed off Keon would finally get his name right.
Naiya smiled widely hearing Keon's name as if he literally wasn't in her apartment right now. "Okay I will. Thanks."
"No problem." He kissed her forehead, "Night sweetheart." He pulled away and headed to the door. "Aye see you later Keon!"
"Bye Tyler!"
Tyler looked at Naiya and the two chuckled at the obvious inside joke. "Finally got it right."